Former sports journalist Dianna Russini has announced the launch of her own podcast, The Russini Report, which will air weekly on Wednesdays. The project comes amid the scandal that led to her dismissal from The Athletic in April. In her first major appearance since leaving the outlet, she addressed how she is coping with the past six months.
Russini described the period as "exhausting" and stated that those responsible for her situation are liars. She did not specify what lies she was referring to or who had spread them. The podcast is funded by BetUS, an offshore sportsbook, which in the context of the scandal raises questions about the project's editorial independence. This is her first on-air appearance since leaving The Athletic.
According to The Athletic, the reason for her dismissal was a violation of editorial standards: the journalist failed to disclose her relationship with Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. The outlet stressed that the violation concerns any private ties with individuals a journalist covers. Investigative reporter Mike Semel explained that such a violation occurs regardless of whether the relationship was romantic. This position became central to the debate surrounding the case.
One of the first public pieces of evidence was a set of photographs published by Page Six in April. They show Russini and Vrabel together at a resort hotel in Arizona. Russini at the time explained the meeting as a coincidence, saying she ran into the coach during a bachelorette trip. She did not provide photographs from the trip itself, leaving her explanation unverified.
It later emerged that the photographs with Vrabel, according to the outlet, span about seven years, beginning from her time at ESPN, where she covered the NFL. Separately, TMZ reported that it had obtained documents about a private boat rental in Tennessee in 2021. At that time Russini was around seven months pregnant, a detail that added particular sensitivity to the case. Page Six later also published a separate story about Russini being rescued after a car accident, although its connection to the main case was not explained in the reporting.
To rebuild her reputation, the journalist brought in crisis manager Melissa Nash. She was previously represented by agent Matt Olson. In her resignation letter, Russini criticized the media coverage of the story and the lengthy internal review, which she said escalated the situation. Commentators analyzing her statements note that her version of events avoids accountability, and no concrete refutations or explanations regarding the photographs and the trip have emerged. No prominent women in sports media have publicly defended her since these events, and how the industry will assess the case remains an open question.